Friends and colleagues will soon start asking you the dreaded ritual question:
“What are you doing for New Year?”

If you do not yet have an answer ready, or if you would rather sidestep the problem… beat them to it by planning a wonderful end-of-year trip!

Whether on the vast plains of Mexico, the white beaches of Phuket, among the dunes of Morocco or in a beautiful European city, we are convinced that a trip to leap headlong into 2024 is a splendid idea for starting the new year in the best possible way.

In this article we suggest 5 destinations to turn your dreams into reality!

Portugal

A land on the edge that feels like home

There are many reasons why Portugal is one of the destinations most desired by Italian travellers, and one that keeps on growing. We could start by mentioning the favourable climate all year round, the distance of just a few hours’ flight, an atmosphere of serenity and safety, excellent food and wine and a historical and cultural heritage that is truly the envy of all.

The ancient land of Lusitania, Europe’s last bastion before the Atlantic Ocean, instils a sense of tranquillity from the very first moment, as if there were something familiar in its very air.

The landscape, moreover, is a measured balance of human-scale cities, picture-postcard towns and villages, cliffs and scenic beaches where the wind is the undisputed protagonist: Óbidos, Nazaré, Aveiro, Braga and Sintra, to name but a few.

Lisbon and Porto, the country’s two souls: melancholy and contemplative the first, industrious and dynamic the second. Beautiful, stunningly beautiful by day, the queen of the Tagus; charming and luminous, the guardian of the Douro. Savouring a glass of Port in the Ribeira district or while watching a Fado performance is something every traveller simply must do in their long and honourable career. As is tasting the famous Pastéis de Nata in the celebrated historic pastry shop in Belém, a stone’s throw from where Portugal’s great explorers set sail.

Travel Inspiration:
Click here for the PORTUGAL itineraries

Lisbon – Rossio

Turkey

Between imperial cities and fairy-tale landscapes

Turkey is the link between the Balkans, the Mediterranean and Asia: this alone would be enough to explain its allure and the great importance it has always held in history.

Istanbul is its gateway, a metropolis of enormous size that moves almost 20 million people every day. The only city in the world to spread across two continents, harmoniously blending all the aspects that characterise them: the historical, religious and cultural weight of the legacy of the Roman Empire, and the spirituality, scents and colours of Asia.

A unique mix that translates into architectural masterpieces such as Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque; and into the orderly chaos of daily life, among the bazaars and the working-class districts of Kadıköy, Fener and Balat.

Beyond Istanbul, you feel the magnetism of Cappadocia, the enchanting beating heart of the country, shaped by the stubbornness and grace of nature.
Admiring from a hot-air balloon the spectacle of dawn lighting up the fairy chimneys is one of those experiences to have at least once in a lifetime.
Savour the famous Turkish coffee, read the grounds left in the cup and discover all the journeys 2024 has in store for you!

Travel Inspiration:
Click here for the TURKEY itineraries

Cappadocia

New York

The city that never sleeps

What is left to write about the Big Apple that has not already been said?

New York is the city that perhaps more than any other represents contemporary humanity in all its impulses and contradictions. Suspended between the glass and steel skyscrapers of Wall Street, the paths of Central Park, the residential neighbourhoods and the modern art museums, the gateway to the States is forever current and immortal, the protagonist of its own unceasing myth.

At the same time, New York remains so deeply subjective, different according to each visitor’s own travel experience. That is why there are as many New Yorks as there are people lucky enough to discover it, once or more over the course of a lifetime.

But if, like many, you have not visited yet, then we suggest doing so at New Year.
The cold, at times biting, can be overcome with suitable clothing. In return, the city offers magic in abundance: ice rinks, giant Christmas trees, markets selling traditional items, the scent of mulled wine, entire neighbourhoods such as Dyker Heights dressed for the festivities will transport you straight into a film, perhaps one of those the celebrated director Woody Allen dedicated to his beloved home city!

Travel Inspiration:
Click here for the NEW YORK itineraries

New York – Rockefeller Center

Morocco

An unmissable mosaic in the Maghreb

Take one of the most beautiful deserts in the world, fishing towns where time stands still, vibrant archaeological sites, vast mountain ranges reaching to the horizon and elegant cities; mix it all together and the result is Morocco.

It is no coincidence that for the ancients Morocco marked the edge of the known world: beyond the Pillars of Hercules stretched the unknown.

This country is, in fact, a fantastic compendium of the most beautiful things this planet holds, with the addition of a thousand-year-old culture and a people who generously go out of their way for the foreigner, making them feel at home.

The treasures of Marrakech with its iconic square and the bustle of its lively commercial life, the superb remains of Volubilis blending into the ochre of the sand, the elegant French-influenced avenues of Rabat and Casablanca, the liberal and faintly sensual atmosphere of Tangier, the city chosen by so many European intellectuals: there really is everything to amaze even the most demanding traveller. At the heart of all the experiences and encounters with Moroccans lies what is perhaps the most characteristic trait of this fantastic country: the evocative union of Berber culture and “urban” culture, two sides of the same coin.

Travel Inspiration:
Click here for the MOROCCO itineraries

Chefchaouen

Oman

The colourful flower of the Near East

The far tip of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman looks out over the blue sea towards the coasts of India.

Overshadowed by perhaps better-known neighbours, this country is in reality a veritable treasure chest: it holds cities where time stands still, crystal-clear waters, dunes that seem embroidered by the wind and breathtaking natural canyons.

An oasis of peace and tranquillity, Oman is an invitation to travel and to reflect on tolerance. The Omani landscape mirrors the soul of its inhabitants: glimpses of the sublime that surface suddenly and unexpectedly, offering emotions you had not bargained for.

It is what you feel, for instance, wandering the streets of Muscat, the capital where ancient and modern meet, ringed by mountains and deserts. Or what you experience at Wahiba Sands, the eastern sands, where watching a sunset among the embroidered dunes can leave indelible memories. Or again what you sense sailing among the Daymaniyat Islands, a fantastic Omani archipelago that reveals itself as an endless succession of emotions.
Oman is the ideal destination for recharging after the exertions of an entire year, ready to devote yourself with renewed energy and passion to whatever 2024 has in store.

Travel Inspiration:
Click here for the OMAN itinerary

Muscat

Why choose a Guiness Travel Tour

For us at Guiness, a journey is a wonderful frame of life.
Our aim is not to “show” places, but to accompany travellers as they immerse themselves fully in the culture and beauty of their chosen destination.

All our itineraries are 100% independently planned, carefully designed and tested for over 30 years, thus allowing the product to evolve constantly, reaching a high, wide-ranging cultural level and guaranteeing maximum comfort in the services on the ground.

This is why we created the Guiness Exclusive Tour:
a unique travel experience, mindful of sustainability and rich in experiences, designed to give you maximum comfort, leaving you free to think of nothing but enjoying the moment.

Every one of our trips comes with guaranteed extras:

  • Tour leader departing from Italy and accompanying the group for the whole duration of the tour
  • Exclusive departures with a limited number of places
  • Departures possible from all over Italy
  • 24-hour assistance on every departure
  • Cancellation without penalty up to 45 actual days before departure
  • No surprise extra costs on arrival
  • Free minibar service on board the coaches (guaranteed in all the countries visited)

Click here and discover all the exclusive Guiness Travel itineraries


Team
Guiness Travel T.O.